mezcal-marinated shrimp

Big bursts of lime, a slightly smoky mescal, and a little bit of honey provide a perfect balance of flavor in this easy appetizer—perfect for celebrating Cinco de Mayo. For something more casual, remove the shrimp from their skewers and place them all in a bowl for serving.

Metal (or wooden) skewers

1 pound large shrimp, washed, peeled, and deveined (with tails on)

2 tablespoons mezcal (we prefer El Buho brand)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

Zest of 1 lime

Juice from 1/2 lime, or to taste

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cooking spray, for greasing

If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 5-10 minutes. Set aside.

Wash and pat dry shrimp. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add mezcal, olive oil, honey, lime zest and juice and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Taste for flavor and adjust as desired. Transfer 1/3 of marinade to a serving bowl and set aside. Add shrimp to bowl of remaining marinade and toss to completely to coat shrimp. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Allow shrimp to marinate for 1 hour.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Lightly coat grill grates with cooking spray. Skewer shrimp, dividing shrimp equally among skewers. Discard marinade from bowl of shrimp. Place skewers on grill and cook until light grill marks form on bottom, 1-2 minutes. Turn and continue to cook on other side for another 1-2 minutes, until shrimp are cooked through. Transfer skewers to a serving platter, brush shrimp with reserved marinade and serve.